Jell-O

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Jell-O

Jell-O..you either love it or hate. And on some level we are all fascinated by it. It wiggles, it jiggles and comes in a myriad of colors. Let's face it, what other dessert is so fun to play with?

According to Kraft Foods, one hundred years ago, Jell-O was little more than a brand name and an unfulfilled dream. Today, if placed end to end, the 413,997,403 packages of Jell-O gelatin dessert produced in a year would stretch three-fifths of the way around the globe with plenty of room to spare.

More than 1,134,239 packages of Jell-O gelatin are purchased or eaten every day. Today, the Jell-O brand is found on over 120 products encompassing everything from puddings, ready-to-eat snacks, no bake desserts and yogurt.

Jell-O is a brand recognized by 99% of Americans and used regularly in 72% of our homes.

With that being said, here are some tasty Jell-O recipes for you to try out. Of course there is nothing wrong with plain old Jell-O topped with a bit of whipped cream either.

Cherry Rice Fluff

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup milk, divided

3 oz. pkg. cherry gelatin

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

16-oz. can pitted red cherries, halved and drained with juice reserved

Glaze:

Reserved cherry juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Combine the rice and 1/2 cup of the milk. Let stand. Dissolve gelatin in the boiling water. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk and almond extract. Chill until partially set. Whip cream with sugar. Fold rice mixture, cherries, and whipped cream into gelatin. Spoon into an oiled 6-cup mold or casserole.

Chill until set, about 4 hours. For the glaze: Combine juice and cornstarch in saucepan. Heat until thickened. Stir in extract. Chill. To serve, unmold fluff and drizzle with glaze. Yield: 6 servings

Strawberry-Fig Jam

7 cups peeled figs

6 cups sugar

4 (3 oz.) packages strawberry Jell-O

1/2 cup boiling water

pinch of salt.

Dissolve Jell-O in water. Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes to one hour. Stir occasionally. Pack in jars. Will keep for months.

The New Red Green Mold

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

1 3-oz package Lime Jell-O

1 3-oz package Strawberry Jell-O

8 oz sour cream or vanilla yogurt

1 10-oz package frozen strawberries in syrup, still frozen

Blend lime gelatin with 1 cup boiling water; stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Refrigerate until slightly thickened (about 45 minutes). Stir in yogurt

or sour cream; blend with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until set but not firm. (about 15 additional minutes). Meanwhile, combine strawberry gelatin with remaining 1 cup

boiling water. Add frozen berries and stir until berries are separated and gelatin is thickened. Spoon over green layer. Refrigerate until firm; serve.

Supreme Dessert

2 packages (3 oz each) or 1 package (6 oz) Jell-O Gelatin (see Note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 package (10 oz to 1 lb) frozen fruit (see Note)

1 cup sour cream, softened vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or prepared Dream Whip Dessert Topping, or yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons brandy (*)

1 1/2 tablespoons rum (*)

2 tablespoons Cointreau or Curacao (*)

(*) or substitute 1/2 teaspoon each brandy and rum

extracts and 1 teaspoon orange extract.

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add cold water. Measure 2 cups into bowl; add frozen fruit. Stir, carefully separating fruit with a fork. Chill until mixture is almost set -- about 15 minutes. Spoon into sherbet glasses, filling each two-thirds

full. Chill until set, but not firm. Chill remaining gelatin until just slightly thickened.

Add remaining ingredients. Beat 1 minute, or until

bubbly. Spoon into the glasses. Chill until firm.

Makes 6 3/4 cups, or 6 to 8 servings.

For more information on the history of Jell-O, visit Kraft Food's website at http://www.kraftfoods.com/jell-o/history/. And for more yummy Jell-O desserts, check out Chef Andy's Jell-O pages at http://cascade.mit.edu/cookbook/jello/recipes.html.